


Dance With the Devil (2008)

by JennyB



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Anal Sex, Blood, Demons, Flirting, Halloween, M/M, Ritual Sex, Secret Crush, Seduction, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-10-22
Updated: 2008-10-22
Packaged: 2018-02-12 21:36:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2125491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennyB/pseuds/JennyB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seto has a rigid deadline. Joey can help him meet it. The question is, will he?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

The afternoon sun was streaming down from a cloudless sky. Though the beams carried a degree of warmth, the late October weather had rendered them weak and feeble. Occasionally, a pre-winter wind whipped through the trees, causing those on the street to stop dallying in the waning sunlight, turn up their collars, and hurry on their way. From up in his glass walled office, Seto Kaiba gazed down at the handful of pedestrians he saw scurrying about, silently mocking their seemingly pathetic attempt to cling to the last vestiges of summer. "Idiots," he mused lowly to himself. "As if standing defiant in a t-shirt will stop the seasons from changing." He'd never been able to understand that about people – their futile insistence on trying to prevent things they had no control over. Turning away from the scene below with a disgusted snort, he returned to his desk and sat down to sort through his mail. While he read through the various items, his thoughts drifted once more. He believed that human beings were, on the whole, far too emotional and sentimental and not nearly logical or practical enough. 

A brow arched in curiosity when he saw an orange envelope decorated with several stickers depicting ghosts, bats, and black cats. Opening it up, he barely refrained from rolling his eyes when he saw that it was an invitation to a ' _Spooktacular Halloween Party_ ' being hosted by one Yugi Moto. ' _Speaking of overly emotional and sentimental,_ ' he thought silently to himself as he held the overly-kitschy piece of cardstock in his hand. For a fraction of a second, he hesitated, his mind conjuring up a tantalizing image of amber eyes and golden hair, and he actually gave serious consideration to attending. Then, he scoffed disdainfully and threw the paper and envelope into the trashcan. He couldn't be bothered with such foolishness, and not giving the party a second thought, he finished up with the rest of his mail, and turned his attention back to his work.

The sun had nearly set by the time Seto was ready to leave for the day, and he began quickly packing up his briefcase. A moment later, a frown creased his brow – he was missing the quarterly report he wanted to review. He called over to the accounting department, slamming down the receiver after a few seconds when there was no answer. His frown deepening, he stalked out of his office, not surprised, but irrationally irritated by the fact that ten minutes after quitting time the place was a virtual ghost town. He retrieved a copy of the document he wanted, and as he walked back to his office, he thumbed through it quickly, not noticing the slight flicker to his shadow.

Just outside the double doors to his suite, his shadow flickered again, morphing briefly into the image of a large crow before becoming liquid to allow a tall, humanoid shape to emerge from the inky depths. Gradually, it revealed a pair of great, black wings and glowing, angular-shaped red eyes. The creature flexed its wings, and then indulged in a lithe stretch before chuckling darkly and rasping out a low, "Hello, Seth. It's time."

The brunet paused mid-stride, and turned to face the shadow, though instead of showing apprehension or fear when he saw it, his eyes just narrowed hatefully and he glowered at it. "I don't know what in God's name you're talking about, Malphare, but why don't you just go back to hell before you do something foolish."

"Now, now, Seth, there's no need to bring God into this," the demon chuckled, even his laughter carrying a harsh edge to it. "You've had five years to run amok, dear _prince_ , and now it's time for you to return." He laughed again, the sound cold and cruel. "When shall I tell Xeres to expect you?"

"You're lying," Seto replied, his own tone frigid. "You always were a shit liar, Malphare. You'd think that after how many millennia now you'd at least have a clue." He held up his left hand, as if preparing to snap his fingers. "Any last words you'd like to impart before I send you to Phelan?" A cruel smirk curved his lips upward. "I always thought you'd serve well as his bitch."

The demon's eyes widened at that, obviously discomfited by the thought. "No Seth, I swear I'm telling you the truth. You know the terms – you have until Revels on the fourth to complete the ritual, or you must return!" Malphare's sharp gaze caught the briefest flicker of surprise in the sapphire eyes, and his earlier haughtiness returning, he drawled, "You mean, you didn't _know_? How _awful_ for you..." He held out his hand, palm up, and with a small flash of fire, a parchment scroll appeared. His smirk widening, Malphare tossed it to the brunet and said, "Read it for yourself if you don't believe me."

Seto glared warily at the demon for a moment, and then unfurled the parchment and began to read, his expression growing more horrified with every paragraph. "I've never seen this before! How the hell did you get your hands on it?"

Malphare seemed to take that as pure praise, and with no small amount of self-satisfaction, he said, "I keep my ears and eyes open, exercise some personal initiative to avail myself of interesting tidbits of information." He laughed a bit before continuing. "That scroll isn't exactly common knowledge among the masses. Why would it be? You know he wants you to return so that you can take your rightful place by his side."

That news sent the brunet's defences up. "Why are you telling me about it, then?" he asked suspiciously, his distrust for the other blatantly obvious in his tone.

"You're Xeres' favourite, and the idea of having to see you on a daily basis and listen to him extol how fucking fantastic you are for the rest of eternity makes me want to vomit. Personally, I can't stand you, Seth, and normally the idea of seeing you miserable would bring me no small amount of amusement. But in this case, let's just say it behooves me to not have you back for a while – consider this a mutually beneficial arrangement for us both."

The deep sapphire eyes flared brightly for a moment, and then the brunet nodded. "I understand. Don't expect me to thank you."

"Your absence is thanks enough, my Prince," Malphare drawled, giving him a contemptuous bow before disappearing back into the shadows.

Seto snorted in annoyance, a slight puff of smoke escaping on his breath as he made his way back into his office where he irritably threw both the financial report and the scroll into his briefcase. He caught a quick flash of orange in the trashcan, and as a contemplative expression settled on his face, he fished it out and added it to the top of the pile of papers in his attaché. Snapping the clasps shut, he retrieved his coat and glanced briefly at the calendar on his desk.

He didn't have a lot of time.


	2. Chapter 2

The entire Kame Game Shop had been decorated for the Halloween party – even the back yard had been set up to look like a haunted graveyard. Solomon Moto had gone so far as to acquire some dry ice for his grandson to use, dumping it into the koi pond (after moving the poor, unsuspecting koi indoors to a tank) to create an eerie mist over the entire area. Yugi and his friends had done a spectacular job with the decorations – it had looked spooky by day, but once the sun had set, it looked positively creepy, like something out of a horror film. The inside was just as good – however, the techno music thumping out of the stereo and the tables laden with snacks and drinks did detract from the image just a little.

By nine that evening, most of the invited guests were there, and by ten they were well into their revelry. Duke, dressed as an ostentatious 70's pimp, was dancing with fairy princess Téa, while Tristan and Joey availed themselves of the munchies being offered. As the two friends were filling up on bite-sized sausage rolls, Yugi, looking resplendent in Egyptian pharaoh's full dress garb, sidled up to them, a very socially awkward looking pirate Bakura in tow. "Great costumes, guys!" the small teen said as he beamed at them. "Tristan, where'd you get a motorcycle cop uniform anyway? Does your family know someone?"

Joey, looking quite dapper as a New York Met, snickered obnoxiously as he elbowed his friend in the side. "Yeah, Tris' – tell him where you got it from."

The stocky brunet blushed deeply, and murmured a response, and when Yugi frowned a little and asked him to repeat it, Joey started laughing harder. "He – he got it off eBay, but – but..." He had to pause to hold his sides, obviously greatly amused by his friend's blunder. "He – he didn't realize it was from an erotic boutique!" Bursting into peals of laughter and ignoring the sour expression on Tristan's face, he pinched a bit of fabric and pulled, watching it snap back into place. "Fuck, Yug', have you ever seen a real cop dressed in rubber stretchy pants and named Sergeant Horny?"

Yugi and Bakura both wore matching expressions on hearing that – eyes wide, hands clasped over their mouths. The diminutive teen recovered first, and with a soft smile, he rested a hand on Tristan's forearm. "Honestly, if Joey hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known. I think it looks good, Tristan. Really." He excused himself for a second, and he and Bakura went to get something to drink.

"See?" Joey said, beaming at his stockier friend. "I told you it was cool."

Once they were alone again, Tristan hauled off and punched his friend in the arm. Hard. "You're such an ass," he seethed through clenched teeth. "Of _course_ Yugi and Bakura wouldn't have guessed – the two of them probably still wear Scooby-Doo undies, for fuck's sake!" Scowling, he crossed his arms across his chest. "I shouldn't have listened to you – I look ridiculous."

As if on cue, Janine Huggins, one of the _extremely_ well-endowed girls from their homeroom, sidled up to Tristan and pressed herself against him. "Hey, Tris'," she purred in his ear. "Come find me once you've ditched _Gay Rod_ here. I'd love a dance with you, Sexy." She glanced over at Joey with a slightly distasteful look, then smiled adoringly again as she turned back to the hazel-eyed teen. With a flirty wink and a sultry giggle, she stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek, giving him an impressive view down the top of her micro-mini dress. Licking her lips in a sensual manner, and then catching the lower one coyly between her teeth, she flipped her long, platinum blond hair over her shoulder, gave him a demure wave, and then slipped away to give one of her other friends from school a hug, the downy feathers of her 'angel's wings' flapping slightly behind her.

While Tristan just gaped in shock, Joey snorted in disgust. "For your _information_ ," he called after her, "Gay, er, I mean _A Rod_ plays for the Yankees! Duh!" Giving the other male a nudge, he snickered, obviously amused by her lack of sports knowledge. When he got no response, he turned more fully to his friend, his expression falling. "Oh come _on_ , Tris'! You're not seriously thinking about Juggins, are you?" He rolled his eyes, and huffed. "Fuck, that's pretty pathetic," he said irritably. "One hot chick comes on to you, and suddenly, you're all drooly." He grabbed a handful of pretzel sticks from one of the bowls and crunched through them as he crossed his other arm over his waist. A couple of minutes later, Yugi and Bakura returned. "Guess who just came on to Mr. Thinks-With-His-Dick here?" he groused to the two. "Jug-er, Janine."

Yugi smiled. "I like Janine. She's pretty, and smart, and she's always so nice to me." A dreamy expression floated over his face. "She calls me 'Sugar Pop' because she says I'm so sweet!"

Again, Joey rolled his eyes. "You all suck, you know that?" With a hefty sigh, he asked, "Did you invite the whole fucking school or something?"

Yugi giggled a little. "No, Joey. Just our homeroom. Even Kaiba."

On hearing that, the blond perked up. "Really?!" he asked, his interest obviously piqued, and then he saw Tristan's arched brow. Clearing his throat and deepening his voice a little, he said, "Uh, I mean, really?" He picked up his cup and held it up to his lips, and trying to sound casual, he asked, "So uh, did he, y'know, say he'd come?" He took a long drink, waiting for the heat to leave his cheeks before he lowered the glass again.

"Now who's thinking with his dick?" Tristan muttered to Joey, and when he saw Yugi's small smile, he said, "I bet you he won't show. He's got important things to do, like stare at himself in a mirror and tell himself how important and awesome he is."

"Just shut up, Tris'!" Joey growled. "It's not like that at all, I –"

"Well, he never actually said he _wasn't_ coming," Yugi interrupted, trying to cut the blond off before he went off on a tirade. He gave his friend a reassuring smile at that.

Tristan just laughed. "I bet you a _million_ dollars he won't come! It's already ten thirty!"

"I'll take that bet, and you'd better get your chequebook out, smartass," Joey replied with a smirk as he pointed to the door.

As one, Yugi, Bakura and Tristan all turned their attention to the entryway, surprised gasps escaping them when they saw the other's costume. Granted, they had expected Kaiba to wear something amazing, if he came at all, but even so, they were unprepared for what they saw. In fact, nearly everyone in the room had stopped to gape in awe at the new arrival.

Seto's skin had been painted white, the colour so pure it almost seemed to have a bluish tinge to it. And the application was flawless to the point where there wasn't a smear of cream or flake of powder to be seen. His wig, which was also pure white, was cut in his typical style, except for the fact that it came down to just between his shoulder blades and was decidedly shaggier – as though someone had messed his usually perfect coif. Nestled at the crown of his head, just behind his bangs, were two small horns that looked to be made of polished obsidian, and his ears had been slightly elongated and pointed. He was wearing crimson contact lenses with slitted pupils, and all of his front teeth, both upper and lower from canine to canine, had been lengthened and sharpened slightly. He had certainly gone all out with his makeup artist – the brunet looked fresh from the set of a Hollywood movie. Even more incredible were the great black leathery wings attached to his back that went from shoulder to mid-calf. To add to the realism, one of the segments looked as though it had been torn and repaired to form a scar, and every so often, they would twitch as the teen moved. Claw-like nails that appeared to be made of the same material as his horns had been attached to his own, and looked incredibly sharp. He was dressed in form-fitting black leather pants, and a crimson leather duster that was fastened to the waist, and then flared a little, the hem skimming his ankles. On his feet he wore knee-high black patent leather gladiator boots with crimson toe caps, which made him stand a good inch and a half taller than he normally was.

"Oh...oh, _wow_ ," Joey murmured from where he was standing, his gaze fixed on the sensual looking teen. Absently, he licked his suddenly-dry lips, feeling his heart race a little when Kaiba turned his attention to him. Suddenly, he felt a sharp jab in his side, and with a scowl, he turned to Tristan. "What do you want, ass?" he demanded in a harsh whisper.

"You're practically slobbering all over yourself," the stocky brunet hissed back. "It's pathetic. Get a grip!" Hazel eyes shifted back to Kaiba, and noticing that still no one had acknowledged the blue-eyed teen, Tristan approached him. Slowly, he let his gaze rove over the other's costume, and then he arched a brow, and asked, "What the hell are you supposed to be?"

Seto smirked, his eyes narrowing into slits as his grin widened, revealing more of his teeth. "Don't you recognize a demon prince when you see one?" he asked, and the smile turned cruel. "Why don't you bow before me and show some respect, and I'll consider being your Master?" 

"Why don't you try to make me?" Tristan countered, a defiant look upon his face.

"You wouldn't like it if I did. Besides, there's much better fare than you," Seto said, and already bored of his conversation, he scanned the crowd of people again, once more stopping when he spotted Joey. The blond seemed to be in a sort of daze, and Seto found that incredibly amusing, and in an odd way, endearing. Slowly, he made his way over to where he stood, and ignoring both Yugi and Bakura, he smirked as he gazed into the amber eyes. "Cat got your tongue, Wheeler?"

After a few seconds, Joey shook his head as though to clear the cobwebs, and looking up and meeting the other's eyes, he said, "No...but damn, Kaiba, that's a hell of a costume."

The CEO actually let out a bark of laughter at that. "Indeed," he replied, finding Joey's choice of words hilarious. In reality, his 'costume' _was_ his true form, though he wasn't that worried about anyone discovering his secret. Even _if_ someone happened to catch his tail twitch from beneath his long coat, they'd merely chalk it up to just another Halloween illusion. After all, most people didn't believe that such things _really_ existed. Seto's eyes roved slowly over the lithe form in front of him, and he chuckled again as the other squirmed a bit under the piercing gaze. "You look...sporty," he commented, giving him another once over. In his opinion, Joey's costume was far too baggy for his tastes, and he did scowl a bit at being denied a more tantalizing peek. But then again, good things came to those who waited, and he was having far too much fun making the other blush to rush things.

"Uh, thanks," Joey mumbled, dropping his eyes and flushing a little under that intense gaze. After a moment, he cleared his throat, and with a small smile said, "So, uh, _your highness_ , who are you, anyway? You don't look like Satan – he's all red with a goatee!"

Seto couldn't help but roll his eyes at that. Mortals and their silly notions of hell. He looked into the earnest amber eyes, and after lightly running the tip of his tongue over his canines in contemplation, he thought, ' _What the hell?_ ' With a smirk, he said, "My name is Seth, son of Xeres, Crown Prince to Demious, and Commander of the Second Demon Battalion."

Joey looked at him strangely for several moments, and then he giggled. "How long did you have to practice saying that to get it right?" he asked. "Really, Kaib', that's awesome. You should totally do shit like this more often." He grabbed a handful of M&Ms from a bowl behind him, and still snickering, he started eating them.

Seto had honestly expected such a reaction, and he did smile a bit. "You think so? Why?"

The blond paused, a candy part way to his mouth. After a few seconds, he shrugged, and as he chewed, he said, "I don't know." His cheeks heated a little again, and he dropped his gaze a bit. Over the years that Joey had known the brunet, he'd found that he'd mellowed somewhat from when they'd first met, but he couldn't remember ever seeing the other so – _playful_. "You're just being really cool right now, and not an uptight ass like you usually are. It's kind of nice."

"Well, tonight I just feel more like myself than I have in a while," the tall teen replied with a snicker, only to sober a moment later when he saw the blond scowl. "What's wrong with you?" he demanded as he arched a brow, and when the other teen gestured behind him with a nod of his head, he turned around, his eyes narrowing when he saw three girls standing there, Janine positioned front and centre. "What?" he asked crossly, somewhat perturbed at having been interrupted.

"Hi Seto," she purred, twirling a lock of her pale hair around a finger. " _Great_ costume! We were wondering if you'd like to come hang out with us for a while. We can talk – or do anything else you'd like." Despite the obvious innuendo, she gave him a coy giggle and tossed her hair back over her shoulder.

"I thought you were dancing with Tristan!" Joey called to her, having to lean around the tall teen to see her, and all the while cursing his luck. He had finally been having a decent conversation with Seto fucking Kaiba, and she had spoiled the moment.

She pursed her lips, and rested her hands on her hips in obvious impatience. Speaking to him the same way one would chastise a small child, he said, "Well, you thought wrong." A cool smile crossed her face, and she added, "Like usual." She turned back to the tall teen, and gave him a beatific smile. "So, how about it, handsome? Would you like to dance?" she asked, gazing demurely at him through her half-lowered long lashes.

Seto watched the exchange between Joey and Janine, a hint of wicked amusement in his eyes, and when the girl posed her question, he smirked darkly. "Sure," he said. "Why the hell not?" He saw Janine make a move to reach for him, but he sidestepped her. "Let's go, Wheeler," he drawled and grabbed his hand. His expression was cold as he looked at the surprised girl. "Oh, did you think I meant with _you_?" he demanded, a cruel laugh escaping him. His eyes roved almost lewdly over her form, and then he snorted. "Sorry, but angels definitely aren't my type." With that, he dragged a stammering Joey out to the open space that had been set up for people to dance.

"Kaiba, what the hell are you doing?" the blond demanded, his amber eyes still wide. His anxiety rose when he found himself drawn into a dance hold.

Seto sighed impatiently and rolled his eyes. "Dancing. Obviously."

"But you're dancing with – with _me/ _!"__

__"Yes." He smirked widely. "Is that a problem?"_ _

__Joey blushed deeply at that, quickly dropping his gaze to hide the flush. "I – well, _no_ , but... _why_?"_ _

__"Why not?" the brunet countered, and then he laughed lowly. He'd caught the blond staring at him on more than one occasion, and not in an ' _I wish you would spontaneously combust_ ' sort of way, either. "Just shut up, Wheeler, and try to enjoy it. I never thought I'd say this to you, but you're thinking too much."_ _

__The fair-haired teen pinked further at that, and before he could stop himself, he muttered, "Ass." Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he glanced up hesitantly at the other. He was currently living out one of his fantasies, save for the costumes, and he was suddenly quite concerned about fucking that up because he couldn't keep his big mouth shut. He noticed that Kaiba's expression seemed to be quite content, and this reassured Joey that the invitation had been genuine. Realizing that this wasn't some trick to deceive or humiliate him, he relaxed a little against the other, unable to keep from looking up into the dark crimson eyes. When the song ended, the blond cleared his throat and gave the tall teen an uncertain smile. "So, uh, thanks for the dance, Kaib'."_ _

__"Would you care for another?"_ _

__Joey's head snapped up at that. "Really?" he exclaimed, only to mentally facepalm a second later at how pathetic that had sounded. "Uh, I mean, yeah, that'd be all right." He worried his lip with his teeth for a moment, and then said lowly, "But I thought there'd be other people you'd want to see and shit."_ _

__"What did I tell you about thinking too much?" Seto replied as he took the other into his arms again. This time, the hold was different – less like a dance cage and more like a lover's embrace. He kept his eyes locked with the liquid amber, and there was a hint of a pleased smile on his face when he saw the slightly glazed look and noted the heated cheeks and slightly parted lips. This time, the music changed tempo, becoming a little faster and more rhythmic, which in turn caused the blond to have to cling even tighter to him. Not that he had any complaints about that._ _

__Joey was ecstatic as he danced with Kaiba. He memorized every angle of the other's face, not wanting to forget anything in case this was all just a dream. After a while, he tuned out the noise and laughter of the party, and for the longest time, it felt as though he and the brunet were the only two people in the room._ _

__Just before midnight, the blond felt a soft press of lips to his own, and his eyes went wide when he realized that Kaiba was kissing him! A soothing heat penetrated him, and it wasn't long before he relaxed against the taller teen, his hands moving up into the other's hair. Dazedly, he mused to himself, "Hm...not a wig." However, that thought vanished when he felt a questing tongue exploring his mouth, and he eagerly returned the embrace. He'd always imagined that kissing Kaiba would be intense, and when the brunet finally pulled away, he was left breathless, panting, and achingly hard._ _

__"You're perfect for me. I'll see you soon, Joey," Seto whispered in his ear, his one hand moving to lightly rest over the fair-haired teen's heart._ _

__"Don't go," the shorter murmured, not caring that he sounded like he was begging. "Please?"_ _

__"I have to," the other replied. "I can't stay here much longer. But I will come for you." He nuzzled against Joey's neck, delighting in the fact that the other let his head fall back with a soft moan as he suckled the soft skin. He nipped the mark he'd created, a low growl in his throat as he tasted the salty tang of blood. Knowing it was too soon, he forced himself away from the tantalizing blond, though he did steal one last, hungry kiss before he left the Game Shop._ _


	3. Chapter 3

The next afternoon, Joey was over at Yugi's house with the rest of his friends. Together, they were helping to clean up from the previous night's festivities. He wasn't feeling that well, though he attributed the nausea to his lack of sleep and an overindulgence of candy. Téa's nattering wasn't doing much to help his headache, and it was no small feat that he hadn't yet told her to fuck off – he really wasn't in the mood for the lecture. Fortunately, just before eight that evening, she had left to go to her dance class, leaving him with an hour or so of peace and quiet with his buddies. 

It seemed as though the others had been of a similar mindset, because shortly after the petite brunette had left, the conversation turned decidedly more perverse. Duke and Tristan regaled the other three with stories from their evening, including a play by play of what had transpired with Janine Huggins and her friends. Allegedly, the raven-haired male had gotten a hand job from Janine's best friend Heather, while the stocky brunet had got to feel the platinum blond's boobs as he'd had his tongue halfway down her throat. Whether that had actually happened, or if it was the stuff of teenage male embellishment was unknown, but both males did have hickeys on their throats to at least give some credibility to what they were saying. Joey, not to be left out of a bragging contest, tugged down the collar of his t-shirt a little, and with a smirk, he said, "Yeah, well, check _this_ out!"

"Dude, there's nothing there."

Amber eyes went wide, and then narrowed. "Whatever, Tris'. It was there this morning." He grinned, and said smugly, "Kaiba gave it to me."

The four males looked at the blond, and then at each other. A small, somewhat confused smile flitted across Bakura's face, and he asked quietly, "When, Joey?"

The blond rolled his eyes and huffed impatiently. "Quit being dicks, you guys. It was last night, at the party. Kaiba and I danced, and then he kissed me."

Yugi's smile was sympathetic. "That's not possible, Joey. He wasn't there long enough. We saw you talking to him, and then he talked to Janine, and then he left. Maybe you dreamed it," he suggested. "You weren't feeling very good, so Grandpa took you to lie down upstairs, and you fell asleep for a while."

Joey was visibly agitated on hearing that news. "No. No fucking way," he replied. "I know what I did last night, Yug'. And I know I'm not crazy, either!"

Duke placed a gentle hand on the blond's shoulder. "Dude, look, we know you were sick. You don't have to make stuff up to impress us. It's ok. Really."

Shrugging off Duke's hand, the amber-eyed teen scowled. "No, fuck you all. I don't know what you're playing at, but it stopped being funny about ten minutes ago." Finding that his headache had returned with a vengeance, he muttered something about needing some air and picking up stuff in the backyard, and he headed outside. The first few breaths felt wonderful, and Joey's head cleared considerably. A few moments later, however, he felt a dizzying wave of nausea, and he seriously thought he was going to be sick. He knelt down on the grass, a soft whimper escaping him as he felt an incredible searing pain in his chest, just above his heart. He rubbed at it with the heel of his hand, and he winced when it felt like someone was trying to claw the organ from his chest. His discomfort increasing, he felt as though his body was burning up with fever, and as the sweat began to pour down his brow, he jerkily shrugged out of his jean jacket and tore off his t-shirt. When that gave him little relief, he made his way on unsteady legs over to the koi pond and crouched down in front of it to splash some of the cool water on his face. Patting his face dry with his t-shirt, he arched a brow when he saw that it was stained with blood. 'What the fuck?!' he thought to himself, hoping like hell he hadn't given himself a nosebleed, and he leaned over to look at his reflection in the water.

A startled cry escaped him when he saw what looked to be five deep gashes, corresponding to the positions of fingers on a hand, and blood running in crimson rivulets down his chest. But more surprising (and disturbing!) to him was the mark on his throat. It was a deep black, and the oddly shaped glyph reminded Joey of the tattoos that some of the badass gangs got done on their skulls. 'What's going on?' he thought in a panic, and when trembling fingers brushed over the mark, the blond screamed in absolute agony when it felt as if every part of his body was on fire. He was surprised he didn't pass out from the pain, and weakly, he tried to call out for Tristan, or Yugi, or _anyone_ , but he couldn't get his voice to work. He felt like he could do nothing but curl up on himself to ease some of his agony, and as he lay there for a while, he wished for unconsciousness. However, he heard a low, snarling growl that jolted him back to reality, the resulting adrenaline surge assuaging some of his discomfort.

Glancing toward the fence, he saw what looked like a large Rottweiler staring at him. The animal's eyes were a glowing, acid green, and long strings of saliva dripped thickly from its jaws. Joey's eyes widened as the dog took a couple of menacing steps toward him, and fighting through the crippling pain, he struggled to his feet and moved backwards to the other fence.

The creature bayed lowly, its eyes never leaving the blond. It growled again, and then in the blink of an eye, it was directly in front of him, giving him an inquisitive snuffle.

Joey's breath caught in his throat, and he slowly curled his hands into fists, lest the dog decide to take one as a snack. He watched it back up a couple of steps and make as if to pounce, and when it jumped, the blond tried to kick out at it, gasping in surprise when he only made contact with air.

The animal pinned him up against the fence, its front paws resting heavily on his shoulders, and it sniffed at both the mark on his chest and the one on his neck. It bayed again, louder and longer this time, and then it let out a series of small yips that almost sounded as though it was laughing. Within the span of a minute, four more dogs were there, effectively surrounding the blond. The lead creature turned its head, barking rapidly to them, and then it turned back to Joey, the luminescent, pupil-less eyes glaring piercingly into the amber.

The fair-haired teen started, and the fear he'd felt upon looking into those soulless eyes turned to outright terror when he realized that he couldn't move. He tried to call out for his friends, but even his voice had seized, and he felt his blood turn cold when the dog seemed to laugh again. Two of the other animals grabbed onto his pant legs with their teeth, and then the other two also jumped up, each one pinning one of his arms with their great paws. The five laughed in unison, an eerie, howling sound that echoed for miles, and moving as one, they appeared to flow up and meld together like some viscous, black ooze, completely covering the teen. As the shadows fell back to the ground, both the dogs, and Joey, were gone.

* * *

It was several hours later when Joey awoke, and as the memories of the hellhounds came back to him, he sat up with a start. Wild-eyed, he looked around, his heart hammering in his chest as he tried to figure out where he was. Wherever it was, it was...nice, so at the very least, he surmised he was still alive. He was in what looked to be an elaborate hotel suite, but on closer inspection, he saw that it was just a very large bedroom. He was sitting in the middle of a huge bed that had been made up with a soft, thick duck down duvet, silver-grey in colour, and sumptuous cotton sheets, just a touch darker. Glancing down at himself, he saw that someone had cleaned the blood off of him and dressed him in black suede jeans and a charcoal coloured cashmere sweater, and to tend to his hunger, a cart had been set in the room. He wasn't sure what was under the silver lid, but from the aromas assaulting his nose, he was certain it was something he'd like.

Carefully, he slipped off of the bed, half expecting some sort of alarm to go sound when he touched the floor. When nothing happened, he smiled a little and padded over to the trolley, wheeling it over to the bedside. As he sat back down on the mattress, he caught a glance of himself in the highly polished dome. He looked a bit pale – which, all things considered, was to be expected, but he noticed that his eyes were incredibly luminous, as though someone was shining a flashlight through them from inside his brain. He gave his head a shake, wondering if he was hallucinating, but that didn't seem to clear the image. He felt his stomach let out a small growl – he'd obviously missed dinner at Yugi's place – and the eerie happenings momentarily forgotten, he lifted the lid and set it aside. "Holy shit!" A pleased, albeit surprised, expression settled on his face when he saw homemade pasta smothered with thick tomato sauce and meatballs, garlic toast, Caesar salad, a succulent looking piece of chicken parmesan and a large piece of tiramisu. ' _I feel like a condemned man getting his last meal,_ ' he mused wryly to himself, though when his stomach grumbled again and even louder than before, he tucked in to his feast. He'd just set his utensils down after eating his last bite of dessert when the door opened and the black dog from before slipped inside. Joey tensed when he saw it, and picking up his butter knife, he brandished it at the creature. "What the hell do you want?" he demanded.

The animal cocked its head to the side as it looked at him, its expression one of seeming amusement as it yipped a soft chuckle. It gave itself a thorough shake, its entire form seeming to go liquid, and then it sat back on its haunches. A moment later, it sat back on two legs, and appeared to stand up, morphing into a short, humanoid form. It let out what sounded like a giggle, and as it solidified once more, Mokuba Kaiba stood before him. "Hi Joey," he said, giving the teen an impish grin. "Seto needs to talk to you." The dark-haired boy crossed the room and took Joey's hand, capitalizing on the other's shock to easily tug him to his feet and into the corridor. "Don't be afraid," he said reassuringly as they walked through the Kaiba manor toward a closed door. "I promise you, he doesn't want to hurt you." With that, he knocked on the office door, and then stepped inside, a very confused blond following behind him. After he gave the brunet a small bow, he silently excused himself, pulling the door closed behind him.

Once they were alone, Seto turned away from the window he'd been looking out of, and gave Joey a small smile, gesturing to the sofa for him to have a seat. Once the other had done so, he said, "I assume you have some questions?"

"You're damned right I do!" Joey said, his voice having returned. "What the fuck just happened? I'm at Yugi's, and then I see all this blood, and feel like I want to die. Then I've got zombie dogs chasing me – one of whom just _happens_ to be your little brother. And now I'm here! And fuck if I don't understand why last night doesn't seem to have happened for anyone but me!"

A hint of amusement settled in the sapphire eyes as he listened to the shorter teen rant, and when the blond had finished, he crossed the room and sat down next to Joey. "Last night happened," Seto explained. "Everyone else just thinks something different occurred. After that annoying girl kept interrupting me, I was starting to lose patience, so I made everyone else think we weren't there." He smiled a little. "The short version is I need you in order to stay here, Joey. And I don't want to go back. If I return, I won't be able to leave again. That pain you felt, it was my mark revealing itself, which allowed my servant to find you. But believe me, you won't ever have to feel anything like that again."

The blond looked at him as though he was insane. "Kaib', last night, that whole story was cool and all, but now that Halloween is over, it makes you sound fucking crazy. You might not want to let a whole lot of people hear you talking like that, yeah?"

The brunet rolled his eyes. "I'm not delusional," he replied. "And Mokuba – or rather, Makare – is not my brother." When he saw the disbelief in the other's expression, he huffed impatiently, snorting out a small puff of smoke. "Always demanding _proof_!" he hissed impatiently, and he levelled the other with a serious gaze. "It's only for you that I would do this," he said, and with a slightly discomfited growl, he phased into a tall, opaque shadow-like creature with large wings and glowing crimson eyes. A moment later, he completed his transformation, revealing his demon form. He took a deep breath and flexed his wings, refolding them behind him as his tail swished rapidly back and forth in obvious agitation, the appendage visible this time as he was wearing a shorter, three-quarter length flared coat instead of the long duster. Folding his arms across his chest, he arched a brow at the other. "Well?"

Joey simply gaped in stunned disbelief at the other. "No fucking way!" he breathed as he slowly got to his feet and approached the other. He held out a hand, as if to touch the bat-like wings, his eyes shifting to Kaiba's to ask silent permission. When the taller male unfurled his wings a bit and turned a little, the blond smiled softly and ran his fingertips over the leathery skin, his smile widening when the demon seemed to be ticklish. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you," he said quietly as he dropped his hand.

Seto shrugged, and then turned back to his human form. "It seems pretty unbelievable. And it's been a long time since anyone's touched my wings."

"I think they're kind of cool," Joey replied. "I mean, you're cool as you are Kaib', but that makes you even more so." His expression turned a little hesitant, and he asked, "So, um...you said you needed me. What-what exactly do you need?"

"A consort."

"What?!" the blond turned bright pink at that, his gaze dropping to the floor. After a moment, he cleared his throat and said, "So, like a phoney marriage, yeah?"

The brunet shook his head. "No, it doesn't work like that. I need you to bond with me body, mind, spirit, and soul. I know you already like me in your mind – I felt it last night when I kissed you. To complete the ritual and demonstrate body, soul and spirit, we have to mate, and then bond over our blood. Tomorrow. Before midnight." 

Joey gazed at him for a long moment. "God, Kaib'," he began, running a hand through his bangs in contemplation. "You know I like you and all, but fuck..." He met the sapphire eyes again, and asked, "What happens afterwards?"

"You'll fall into a deep trance, and once I wake you, you'll be mine...and my incubus."

"Incubus? Like, a sex demon?"

Seto couldn't help but laugh. "Well, sort of. It's more of a title than anything, really. All that mythology is crap for the most part – shreds of truth embellished to sound better. Demons... _create_ incubi and succubae for themselves – it's only when they've had their 'masters' killed that they run amok like that." He gave the blond a lewd smile. "After being with a demon, mortals find it hard for other lovers to satisfy their...appetites."

Amber eyes widened at that, and as he thought back to the previous evening, he remembered the state he'd been left in just from Kaiba's kisses. And even just thinking about it, he could feel himself becoming aroused. "Tomorrow, huh?" His expression turned coyly flirtatious, and as he gazed up at the other, he said, "Guess you'll have to convince me."

Seto grinned. "With pleasure."


	4. Chapter 4

When Joey had gone outside and not returned for some time, Yugi had looked out in the yard for his friend, his brow furrowing when he'd seen no sign of the other.

"Oh, he was probably just pissed off and went home," Duke had stated, dismissing the diminutive teen's concerns with a wave of his hand. "Honestly, I'm surprised he turned down pizza, but whatever. I'm sure he'll come by tomorrow, back to his old self."

Yugi had nodded and accepted that, but on Sunday morning when brunch at the Moto house had come and gone and there was still no sign of Joey, the spike-haired teen got worried. A closer inspection of the backyard had turned up the blond's bloodied t-shirt and his jacket, but nothing more. "What do you suppose could have happened to him, Tristan?" he asked the stocky brunet as he stood there, tears glistening in his eyes. "We should call the police..."

"Now _that_ is a hell of a good idea," a low voice rasped, "though I seriously doubt there's much that the police can do for you _or_ your friend."

Tristan, Yugi, Duke and Bakura turned around, surprised to see a tall, lanky man with short cropped, spiky black hair and brilliant citrine eyes sitting on one of the deck chairs and smoking a cigarette. "Who are you?" Tristan demanded, taking a menacing step toward the other.

"Mm, damn, I'd forgotten how good these were," he mused to himself, and then he chuckled around the stick. "Where are my manners?" he said as he got to his feet and gave the four teens a bow. "My name is Malphare, and I can help you find your friend." Straightening, he grinned maliciously and said, "For you see, your friend is in the clutches of a demon."

Yugi's eyes widened. "How do you know that?"

The man laughed. "Probably because I'm a demon, too." When the four teens took a step back, he waved a hand dismissively. "Relax, boys...if I was going to do anything to you, I'd have done it by now." He crushed out his heater in the palm of his hand, and then incinerated the filter, brushing his palms together to clear them of debris. Turning his attention to the four, he said, "Do you know Seth?" When he saw the confused looks, he tsked softly, and nodded. "Right, right...he calls himself something else up here. What is it? Ah, yeah...Seto." He laughed when their eyes widened. "Well, that answers my question then. Gather round, kids – it's story time." He waited until the four had sat down, albeit at some distance, from the demon. "Seth is a crown prince for one of the cities in hell, and the real _apple_ of daddy's eye. He wanted to spend some time up here, so he was granted permission to come, a one-time only deal. He found some poor kid and took over his body, eventually killing the host and claiming it for his own. One of his most trusted servants accompanied him, masquerading as his brother." Malphare smirked as he pulled out another cigarette, snapping his fingers to create a flame on the tip of his thumb, and then blowing it out. "The way I understand it, some rich bastard adopted Seth. Too bad the guy was such an asshole – one day, in a fit of rage, Seth killed the man. Not that he didn't deserve it. But anyway, Seth recently came to realize that his time on earth is nearly up – he was given five years, and the clock chimes at midnight on the fourth. When that happens, he returns to hell, and takes his place at his dad's side." The demon exhaled, creating a linked chain of smoke rings. "The thing is, he doesn't want to go back, and he's going to do everything in his power to stay here, which is where your friend comes in. He's planning on taking his soul in exchange for eternity on earth. So, you might want to stop him." 

"So...how come _you're_ here?" Duke asked. "It seems kind of lame for you to waste your one shot to tell us about Kaiba."

Malphare laughed. "I'm a messenger. I'm allowed to make repeat visits to the surface – one hour of time per week. Unless of course, someone summons me." He grinned darkly, and leaned forward a little, as if letting them in on some great secret. "Look, boys, Seth is bad news – even among us, no one trusts him. You might want to do everyone a favour and kill him – Seth commands a demon army that's very loyal to him. What do you suppose might happen if he turned his troops loose on the unsuspecting masses, hm?" His eyes narrowed a little. "You could be _heroes_."

"I don't think I really want to kill Kaiba," Yugi replied quietly. 

"Oh come _on_ , kid!" the demon sighed. "What, you've never killed a bug? Caught a mouse?"

"Kaiba's a bit bigger than a bug," Yugi murmured.

Malphare rolled his eyes. "You don't want to? Fine..." He took an irritated drag off of his cigarette. "Just remember, in a few years when this whole mudball of a planet is enslaved in hell, don't forget that you could have stopped it. And I'll seek you out personally and torture you mercilessly for all the extra work you made for me." 

Duke and Tristan exchanged glances. "Uh, we'll do it," the stocky brunet said. "What do we have to do?"

"Tristan, no!" both Yugi and Bakura hissed lowly, the two looking very uncomfortable with the conversation.

"We have to, Yugi," Tristan replied. "It's the only way to get Joey back. And between him and Kaiba, I know who I'd pick." He turned back to the demon. "What do we have to do?"

The dark-haired man grinned, his eyes glowing with wicked delight. "There's a dagger made from pure silver and carved with ancient runes. The legend says that it will kill whatever demon's flesh it pierces. Immobilize Seth with Holy Water, then stab him with the knife. That should do quite nicely. It should be pretty straightforward – once he's begun the ritual, he won't be able to regenerate or cast spells, and with the dagger in the room, he'll be even weaker. If he tries to run, pour some salt – demons can't cross a salt line."

Duke arched a brow as he looked at the other. "Uh, you wouldn't happen to have one of those lying around, would you? Because, yeah, I'm fresh out of silver daggers."

Malphare rolled his eyes and snorted impatiently. "No, I don't. For one, I can't touch the thing. For another, like I'd bring an implement of my own potential destruction with me anywhere – how the hell do I know you wouldn't try to use it on me? Go steal your own!" He smoked the last drag off his cigarette, and then snorted again. "Look...I'll....help you. There's one on display in the museum. I'll make sure the cameras and alarms are off and the guards are distracted. You'll have five minutes from one to five after this morning. I'd recommend punctuality." The demon morphed into his shadow form, and with one last laugh, he said, "You might want to keep an eye on his brother." And with that, he was gone.

* * *

Shortly after nine the next night, Yugi, Tristan, Duke and Bakura snuck onto the grounds of the Kaiba manor. Bakura had remained hidden in the front bushes, equipped with a walkie-talkie to warn them of any approaching danger. After Duke had made short work of the front lock, the three remaining teens slipped inside and began to silently make their way through the darkened corridors. "Where do you suppose they could be?" Yugi whispered, his eyes darting around nervously as he clung to Tristan's coattail. This whole adventure was more than he'd bargained for. The theft of the dagger had been ridiculously easy, and the fact that no one had yet discovered them was making the diminutive teen very nervous.

"I don't know," Tristan replied. "We're gonna have to go floor by floor and hope that Kaiba doesn't have any secret passages and shit." After looking around, he decided that they should begin at the top and work their way down. He led the other two toward the staircase, only to stop and gasp in surprise when Mokuba suddenly appeared before them. "The fuck!"

The boy shook his head sadly as he looked at his three friends. "You shouldn't have come here, you guys." His eyes narrowed a little as he studied Tristan intently, sensing the power of the knife he carried. "I don't know what you think is going on, or what you're trying to do, but I'm not going to let you hurt Seto. I don't want to kill you guys, but I will if I have to." Before the teens could respond, Mokuba morphed into his hellhound form, and after baying lowly four times in succession, he split four times over so that there were five creatures surrounding them.

"Oh holy shit!" Duke exclaimed in a panic. "That guy never said anything about this!" He screamed hysterically when one of the dogs growled lowly and charged him, and when he turned to run, he wound up slamming straight into a wall and knocking himself out cold.

"Idiot!" Tristan seethed, and grabbing Yugi's hand, he took off at a run for the stairs, the hellhounds hot on his heels. He plunged his other hand into his jacket for the dagger, and slashing wildly behind him, he called to the spike-haired teen, "The salt! _The salt_!!" Once they reached the top of the stairs, the stocky brunet thrust the knife deep into the belly of one of the dogs, a pained yelp escaping him when the creature's blood scalded him badly. The body melted into a pile of gelatinous ooze in the centre of the corridor. "Do it, Yugi! Come on!! They're coming!"

With trembling hands, the tiny male poured a line of salt from one side of the hall to the other, throwing up his hands to protect himself as the dogs leapt. A moment later, he cracked an eye open and saw that the remaining four were pacing and snarling on the other side of the barrier, unable to cross it. "I'm guessing they're up here," he said quietly as he poured a bit of Holy Water onto Tristan's hand, watching in surprise as the wound smoked, and then healed – though it did seem to cause the brunet a good deal of pain. "That would explain why, uh, Mokuba didn't want us to go this way."

"Yeah," Tristan hissed as he clenched his hand into a fist. "Fuck, that smarts." Keeping the knife at the ready, they began checking the doors one by one. They didn't see the hellhound reforming behind them. Apparently, they didn't realize that you have to kill the main one to keep the others from regenerating.

* * *

In Seto's bedroom, Joey was in heaven. Ever since the previous evening, he'd been in the brunet's bed, naked, and when he wasn't having a drink or a snack, he was being brought to orgasm. He was seeing firsthand what the tall teen had meant by demon lovers being unlike any other, and he'd long ago lost count of how many times he'd come. Kaiba was, in a word, incredible. He'd not yet been _fucked_ by the brunet, but between the blue-eyed male's talented hands and tongue (Joey hadn't realized until he was being sucked off for the first time that it was slightly forked, and damn if he couldn't make it flicker like a lizard's, too!), he'd not once been left unsatisfied or wanting. As he lay there panting and breathless, having once again pulsed his release down the demon's throat, he reached out a hand and lightly stroked it through the longish tresses. "Holy shit," he managed to rasp, and as he licked his lips, he glanced down at his lover, his eyes getting a slightly hungry look in them at the sight of the other's long, thick cock. "I don't understand how you can hold off this long. I think I'd have exploded or died by now."

"Different physiology," the brunet replied simply as he slipped his fingers free from the other's ass, letting them once again wrap around Joey's spent shaft to lazily stroke him back to full hardness. Shifting up a little, he threaded his other hand in the blond locks and kissed him deeply, his tongue caressing languidly over the smaller teen's. "It's time," he murmured lowly as he dipped his head to suckle Joey's Adam's apple, his own cock giving a slight twitch as he felt the blond's respond. Meeting the amber gaze, his own expression open, he smiled a little. "I like you, Joey. And even though it's not common among my kind, I think I might even learn how to love you."

"I like you too, Kaib'," Joey replied, a soft mewl escaping him as the brunet changed his stroke.

"Call me Seth. You know my name; I'd like to hear you say it." He released his hold on the blond's cock, and grasped one of his thighs, drawing it up a little as he slid his body down. After lightly rimming the hole with his tongue, he licked along the underside of Joey's cock and then sat up a bit. Positioning himself, he arched his hips forward, a feral growl escaping him as he was sheathed in the searing heat, a flicker of crimson flashing across the sapphire before disappearing. Leaning forward more, he released his hold on the smaller teen's legs, wrapping his arms around his lover's body and kissing him wantonly as he began to thrust hard, fast and deep into the pliant body beneath him. After a few moments, he sat back on his ankles, pulling the other with him and encouraging Joey to wrap his legs around his waist. His mouth found purchase on a nipple, his tongue licking and sucking the hardened bud, and as he felt his orgasm approaching, he flicked his gaze up to the other. An extremely possessive look settled in his eyes, and with a low, dark rasp of, "Mine!" he hit his peak, his seed splashing against the blond's prostate as he ground his hips upward to penetrate him deeper.

"Oh...oh... _fuck_!" Joey was doing his best to hold on, but every perfect thrust chipped away at what little remained of his self-control, and when he felt the hot release spread through his entire being, it crumbled completely. With a needy wail of, "Yours, Seth!" he came hard, his whole body tensing from the force, and his vision greying out a little at the edges. He was just starting to come down when a second mini-orgasm tore through him as the demon's teeth penetrated his flesh, and he felt the gentle, but intense suction at his pulse point. When the brunet pulled away, he smiled softly, lightly petting through the silky tresses. He saw Seth lick the crimson from his lips, watched him nip his own for him. He was nervous, admittedly, but after the past couple of days, he knew he wanted to be with the other, demon or not. He leaned in for the kiss, only to start in surprise, eyes wide, as the door flew open and Tristan and Yugi stood there. Joey scrambled for the blanket, covering both him and Seth with it, and glowering at his friends. "What in the fuck do you two think you're doing?" he demanded.

"Malphare said Kaiba was going to kill you! We're here to rescue you!" Yugi exclaimed as he ran over to his friend, and despite the crimson blush, he tried to pull the other away by the hand.

"Damn it, Yugi! I'm fine!" Joey protested. "Get out of here! Both of you!"

"Malphare!" Seth hissed, his eyes narrowed hatefully. "That traitorous son of a bitch! I'll kill him for this!" He grasped Joey by the hips to move him, but instead, he wound up dumping him unceremoniously on the floor when Tristan not only threw a vial of Holy Water at him, which made him let out an enraged roar of pain, but also stabbed him in the neck with the dagger – and then through the back and into the heart for good measure.

The blood spray was spectacular, and with a hateful look at the fin-haired brunet, Seth fell backwards, his blood rapidly staining the linen.

Tristan let out a soft sigh of relief – both for the fact that it was over, and for the fact that he didn't burn himself again. "Come on, Yug', let's get Joey and get the hell out of here." When the small teen didn't move, he frowned. "Yugi?"

"We were too late, Tristan. Joey's dead, too." He shook the blond's body, and there was no response.

"Fuck..." The stocky brunet sank heavily to the floor and glanced up at Kaiba. "Well, it's past midnight, so I guess he didn't make it back to hell, either."

"Damned straight he didn't," Malphare purred as he rose up out of the shadows, and crossed over to the bed. "Mm, how the mighty have fallen," he taunted as he gave the body a slight nudge, wincing a little and pulling his hand back as the dampness of the Holy Water singed his fingertips a little. "Nice job, Kid." He glanced down at Joey. "Bugger about your friend," he muttered as he sat down on the edge of the bed and lit up a cigarette, then chuckled a little. "Though, I suppose it's only fair to let you in on a bit of a secret. Seth wasn't really all that bad – I just can't stand the bastard. Xeres would have my ass if I touched his little boy, so thanks for doing my dirty work for me." He winked. "Appreciate it." Suddenly, the citrine eyes went wide, the demon's mouth dropping open in a large 'O'. Glancing down, he saw Joey on his knees in front of him. The blond's lips were turned down in a malevolent snarl, his amber eyes blazing as he grasped the handle of the dagger which was now implanted firmly in the demon's chest. "But...you – how?"

"I played possum," Joey spat, casting a cold glare at his friends. As Malphare groaned softly and slumped forward, the blond yanked the blade free and dropped it to the ground, sitting back on his heels as tears prickled the corners of his eyes.

"Come on, Joey," Yugi said as he reached for the blond's arm, only to gasp in surprise when the other batted it away. "Joey?"

"I told you I was fine, Yug', and yet you two assholes listened to this retard's ideas, and came flying in here like gangbusters. You took him from me, even when you _knew_ how I felt about him, even when you heard me tell you to leave!" The blond scowled deeply. "Go home. Just...go home. I want to say my good byes alone." When his friends merely sat there, he shouted, " _GO_!"

"But, Mokuba..."

"Just tell him I said to let you go," Joey replied quietly, too disgusted to look at either of them any longer. He waited until the other two had left, and then he moved closer to the bed. After pushing Malphare's body to the floor and throwing the dagger into the corner, he crawled around the other side to where Seth lay, and with a small smile, he ran his fingers through his hair. "I completed the ritual," he said softly. "When Tristan stabbed you, some of your blood hit me, and I licked it, so it counts. I'm sure it counted – that's why Yugi thought I was dead at first." He dropped his gaze to the blood-stained sheets. "I tried, and I'm sorry I let you down. I let us both down. I guess I just wasn't fast enough, Seth." He took the brunet's hand in his own and gave it a gentle squeeze. 

A few seconds later, he felt a soft squeeze in return, and though the voice was very weak, there was no mistaking the words – "You were. And I love you for it."


	5. Epilogue

There had been a lot of confusion as to how Seth's return had been possible. However, both Joey and Makare had been beyond pleased and pleasantly surprised that he had managed to escape his fate. Once he had recovered, the demon prince had filled them in. It turned out that Tristan's ignorance and Malphare's arrogance had been the reason. It _was_ true that the dagger would destroy the demon, but as a prince, and hence higher up in the demon hierarchy, that meant that Seth was more resilient than lesser beings. For it to work, Tristan would have had to leave the dagger in the brunet's body to keep him from regenerating, which the demon had been able to do, albeit slowly, as soon as Joey had completed the ritual.

It had been a fairly simple matter for Seth to track down Bakura, Tristan, Duke and Yugi and modify their memories of the event. As payback for being stabbed, he'd convinced Duke and Tristan that they'd screwed each other senseless in a night of drunken debauchery, and that the bruise on Duke's face had happened when he'd hit his head on the headboard after Tristan had moved too quickly. The blue-eyed brunet believed that Yugi and Bakura were neurotic enough on their own, so in a rare show of compassion, he'd left them thinking that they'd simply cuddled all night and watched movies together.

A few days later, with all the past unpleasantness behind them, Joey was cuddled up against Seth, mewling softly as the demon teased him with feather light caresses along his spine. They'd already been making love since dawn, and from the way the blond's cock was pressed up against the brunet's leg, Seth knew it wouldn't be long before his consort was ready again. Joey was the perfect incubus for him – gorgeous, fun to be around, and now that he'd been claimed, he had a sexual appetite that nearly matched the brunet's. He turned his attention to the warm body beside him, and after pressing a kiss to the fair tresses, he murmured, "Have I told you how much I like you today?" Claiming Joey's lips in a hungry kiss, he shifted his body a little, twining their legs together as he pushed his cock deep inside his lover's body. Setting a slow rhythm, he worked to bring the blond to an intense climax, his own equally as powerful when he finally came, the hot splash of the other's release against his body causing him to growl lowly in pleasure. After covering Joey's face with soft kisses, and teasing nips to his lips and jaw, he settled back beside the other, recognizing the tired, sated expression. Nuzzling into the crook of his neck, Seth held the blond tight in his arms, his breath washing in soft puffs over the smaller male's skin. "Yes, definitely like you a lot."

Other than that one time, Seth never told Joey again that he loved him – though from the way he interacted with the blond, it was readily apparent that he did. He listened to his lover's breathing even out and slow, his fingertips lightly brushing over heated skin as Joey drifted off to sleep. He wasn't looking to sleep, but he was incredibly content and deeply relaxed, and as he let his eyes fall closed, he allowed his thoughts to drift. He could hear the rain against his windows, and smell the fresh, earthy scent in the air. He pressed another gentle kiss to his lover's skin, and he smiled.

This world, it might not be perfect, but unlike the one he'd left, it gave him everything he could want. For him, it was heaven.


End file.
